Dominick Casola, No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford Taurus Salem Fast Facts

Topics:  Dominick Casola, Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic

Chris Knight
Andy Belmont Racing
September 12, 2007

Dominick Casola, No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford Taurus Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic by Advance Auto Parts Fast Facts

Dominick Casola, Andy Belmont Racing, No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford Taurus

ARCA RE/MAX Series Race No. 21, Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic by Advance Auto Parts, Salem Speedway , Salem , Indiana

Race Information: Event: Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic by Advance Auto Parts, Saturday, September 15 at 7:15 p.m. Local Time Track: Salem Speedway Qualifying: Saturday, September 15 at 4:00 p.m. Local Time Track Length: .5-mile paved-oval.

Chicagoland Recap: ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Dominick Casola qualified 25th for in his inaugural debut at Chicagoland Speedway last weekend but unfortunately Casola’s day didn’t go as planned. On the first lap, a group of cars checked up in front of the No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford forcing another competitor to tap the rear of Casola’s automobile. The contact sent Casola around for a spin in the grass. Regrouping like a veteran, Casola stayed on track and appeared to be gaining ground before the motor seized on lap 17 putting him out of the event. He finished a disappointing 38th.

Welcome Back: For the second time in his ARCA RE/MAX Series career, Dominick Casola will have the distinct pleasure of reuniting with Salem Speedway. In April, Casola, 20 made his debut at the intimidating half-mile. Qualifying 26th, Casola worked hard to move to the front only to be collected in another competitor’s mess. He finished 26th.

Time Equals Success: If you took a poll around the ARCA RE/MAX Series garage, many would point fingers to Dominick Casola as a driver who has picked up the most steam in the last handful of races. In addition to showing extreme consistency, Casola claimed a stout fifth place finish last month at Gateway International Raceway making him a driver to watch in the last three events of the season.

Are You Ready For Halloween?: Every year Casola’s sponsor A. Casola Farms offers New Jersey natives the opportunity to head to their farm for a day full of fun and activities celebrating the traditions of Halloween. Coming in late September and all of October, A. Casola Farms will have daily pumpkin pickings, hay rides, petting zoos, corn mazes and their haunted hay rides at night. And new for this year, A. Casola Farms will also open their Motorsports exhibit, not to mention the traditional fall cider and donuts. For an official list of activities and times, please call 732.332.1533

What’s On The Horizon?: Following the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Salem Speedway, Casola and his Andy Belmont Racing (ABR) will join a flock of other competitors for a open test session at Talladega Superspeedway on Tuesday, October 25th. To the team’s advantage, they will participate in a private test at the 2.666-mile facility on Monday, October 24.

Watcha Haulin?: Crew Chief Andy Belmont has elected to bring Casola “Odie” to Salem Speedway this weekend. This is the same Ford Taurus that Casola piloted at both Illinois State Fairgrounds and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, the two dirt races this season. Both events yielded solid finishes for the Holmdel, New Jersey native giving the team good vibes about Saturday night’s thriller. The team’s backup machine is nicknamed “ Oklahoma ”.

Point Standings: Competing in 19 of the 20 races on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, Casola sits 13th in the championship standings with three races remaining in his first season of ARCA competition. Casola is only 85 markers from moving into the top-12 currently held by ARCA veteran Mike Harmon. 155 credits separate Casola from entering the 12th position held by female competitor Gabi DiCarlo.

Andy Belmont Racing, Salem Speedway Pre-Race Quotes:

Dominick Casola, driver of the No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford:

On Chicagoland: “I’ll admit, I was very disappointed with the outcome of Chicagoland. It’s no one’s fault to anyone on the Andy Belmont Racing team. They worked their butts off, we just had some early misfortune in the race which cost us dearly. Nothing we can do about, just some bad luck.”

On Salem Speedway : “My first memories of Salem Speedway weren’t fond, but they always say “second is the best.” My car owner and crew chief Andy Belmont is a Salem veteran, so I’m really excited about our chances for Saturday’s race. Our short track performances have been strong lately, so if we can avoid the expected chaos, we should have a good night.”

On The Upcoming Talladega Test: “While I’m excited about Salem , I’m thrilled about the opportunity to test and race at Talladega Superspeedway. My team is building me a great piece and our Roush-Yates motor should be stout. I’m looking forward to utilizing the test to gain knowledge and experience about the track and about the logistics “restrictor plate” racing carries. No doubt that the extra day of testing will pay dividends for the Andy Belmont Racing team.”

On The Points Standings: “I’m going for every position I can. I realistically think if the next three races go our way, we may be able to march into the top-10. If we can’t, I think a finish inside the top-12 would be a good way to close out the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. We’ve made a lot of strides this season, so a strong conclusion to the season will help set us up for an even better 2008.”

Andy Belmont Racing, Salem Speedway Pre-Race Quotes:

Andy Belmont, owner of the No. 1 A. Casola Farms Ford:

On Young Racing Talent Like Casola: Dominick has showed extreme talent this season. He is maturing into a great racecar driver. I’ve made the transition from full time driver to mentor and coach to work with upcoming drivers like Dominick Casola. There are a ton of fine young kids out there these days and he’s (Casola) one of them. I believe the experiences that racing has taught some of us older guys can be passed on and speed up the learning process for them, and we’ve shown that with Dominick.”

PRIOR RESULTS:

Dominick Casola, Salem Speedway Prior ARCA Race Results:

Date Event Start Finish Laps Status

4/07 Kentuckiana Ford ARCA 200 26 25 162/200 Radiator

Fast Links:

Driver/Team: Dominick Casola on the web: DominickCasola.com

Sanction: ARCA RE/MAX Series: ARCARacing.com

The Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic by Advance Auto Parts (200 laps/110 miles) is the 21st of 23 races on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 79th ARCA race held at Salem Speedway is a one-day show. Practice begins Saturday, September 15 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 1:30-2:35pm. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 4:00pm Local Time. The event will take the green flag shortly after 7:15pm Local Time. The race will not be televised but additional race coverage is available online at arcaracing.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Andy Belmont Racing
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com